The field of the invention relates generally to wheel assembly service machines such as tire changer machines and wheel balancer machines, and more specifically to wheel assembly service machines having improved clamping features for retaining a wheel rim in a predetermined position.
Servicing of wheel assemblies including vehicle wheel rims and tires presents a number of problems to those in the industry. For example, the process of removing a tire from a wheel rim and replacing it with another tire, referred to herein as tire changing, can be difficult. In response to such difficulties, machines have been developed to facilitate the tire changing process. The machines commonly include a clamping mechanism and a drive assembly that rotates the wheel rim about an axis. A bead breaker tool exerts pressure on the tire adjacent the wheel rim to break the tire bead seal, and a tire removal tool, sometimes referred to as a demount tool, is used to pull the bead of the tire off the wheel rim as the wheel rim is rotated, allowing the tire to be separated from the rim for removal. Manual or machine implemented tools are also utilized to press the tire onto the wheel rim for installation. While known machines have obtained some level of success in reducing the time and labor associated with changing a tire, there remains room for improvement.
Wheel balancing machines, often referred to as wheel balancers, likewise commonly include a clamping mechanism and a drive assembly that rotates a wheel rim about an axis. Wheel balancing machines, to some extent, present similar problems and room for improvement exists.